Making Slack Fun: A Step-by-Step Guide to GIF Mastery

Keeping things light at the office is no easy task when bogged down with meetings, emails, and relentless deadlines! Let’s face it–no one wants a boring work culture! Adding a little humor during the daily grind can uplift your coworkers' moods and bring a smile, even during stressful projects.

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Small doses of lighthearted fun can work wonders for engagement without hindering productivity. So bring on the LOLs! This post will teach you how to integrate Giphy into Slack conversations easily in just a few steps. Before you know it, you'll likely be finding and sharing perfectly relatable reaction GIFs.

How to Add GIPHY in Slack

Here is a step-by-step instructions on how to add Giphy to Slack:

1. Open the Slack app and on the left, find Apps. You can find the list of apps you can add by going to the More or Manage Apps section.

2. Type "Giphy" into the search field and click on the Giphy app when it shows up in the results.

3. To start the integration process, click the "Add to Slack" option on the Giphy app page.

4. On the next screen, select a channel that you want to enable Giphy for. You can either pick a channel that already exists or make a new one.

5. Next, read the permission scopes. This will allow Giphy to function correctly. You may need to adjust the content rating to limit the GIFs to only G, PG, PG-13, or R.

6. You can also decide if you want to enable GIPHY Previews to display the GIF privately to you before it gets posted. Recommended so that you don’t accidentally post something inappropriate.

7. After you set this up to your desired settings, select the “Save Integration” button at the bottom to complete adding Giphy to the Slack app.

8. You can now type in your channel "/giphy" to search for and share GIFs right in your Slack messages and conversations - enjoy!

A note: If you do not have permission to adjust these settings, ask your Slack administrator to add Giphy and change the settings for your workspace. After installation, you can start searching for and sharing GIFs by using the "/giphy" shortcut in any connected channel. Please consider the context before posting - all content related to GIFs should still respect Slack's standards of behavior.

How to Use GIFs in Slack

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use GIPHY in Slack:

1. Navigate to the Slack channel or direct message where you want to share a GIF. This can be any conversation that has the Giphy integration enabled.

2. In the message composition box, type "/giphy". 

3. Now in the search box type a word or phrase describing the GIF you want. You can get creative and specific with search terms.

4. Hit enter after your search terms. Giphy will then search its massive library of animated GIFs and display potential matches.

5. Scroll through the GIF options using the shuffle button if the initial results aren't what you had in mind.

6. When you find the perfect GIF that encapsulates your thoughts or reactions, click the "Send" button below that GIF to share it in your Slack conversation.

Get delightfully animated reactions in your discussions! Use Giphy for jokes, expressions, pop culture references, or just because!

How to Send GIFs with Sound on Slack

Follow these steps to send a GIF with sound on Slack using Giphy:

1. Choose the Slack channel where you want to send a GIF and type "/giphy" in the chat box.

2. Select "Find and share a clip" from the list, not the usual GIPHY option. You can now look for GIFs that have sound.

3. Describe or keyword search the type of clip you want in the "Search for a Clip" field and hit enter or click the "Search" button.

4. Preview and shuffle through the clip results just like you would regular GIFs. When you find one you like, click on it first to make sure the audio is appropriate.

5. With the ideal clip selected, click the "Share" button below it to post the loud and proud GIF in your Slack channel for all to see and hear!

Giphy clips add another dimension of reactions and humor to your Slack conversations. Just ensure any audio aligns with workplace guidelines before sending.

Next, we’ve shared some tips for finding the right GIPHY for your Slack conversations.

7 Surefire Tips for Finding the Right GIFs in Slack

• 1Carefully consider the search terms you use before hitting enter. Whatever you type will be visible to others, so keep prompts appropriate.
• 2Always start your search with "/giphy" followed immediately by keywords. Adding an extra space will just post the command text instead of loading GIF options.
• 3

  Use GIFs sparingly. Flooding conversations with too many can be distracting. Think about how frequently it is appropriate.

• 4

  Be creative with your keywords! You may get better results using references to specific shows, emojis, or multi-word phrases, rather than a blanket term.

• 5

  Before posting, think about your audience and the culture of the channel. A funny GIF may not be appropriate to a serious discussion. Ask yourself if an animated reaction makes sense.

• 6Take a peek at all the GIF options by clicking "Shuffle" before settling on one to post. You might find something even more applicable.
• 7When in doubt, add “F.R.I.E.N.D.S,” "The Office," or "Schitt's Creek" to your search for reliably humorous GIF results! But filter selections based on professional appropriateness.

Wrapping Up

GIFs are a great and entertaining way to communicate on Slack. With the ability to quickly find and share a perfect reaction GIF for any moment, this can turn your chatter into something much more and communicate in new and funny ways. 

If you want to congratulate a teammate, if you want to feel mutual empathy for that stressful day, or just want to help bring a smile to your colleagues’ day – GIFs can be a nice way to add tone and emotion with a clever looping graphic. 

With Slack's built-in Giphy tool, finding some good GIFs is really easy, and if that's not enough, then /gif on any channel and upload designs from your own photos. So, have fun, and get your team involved in a funny web-friendly memes. Just remember, don't go overboard: great Slack etiquette is to use GIFs when they truly add value to the conversation.